The Dynamo picked Ballo in the second round of the 2015 SuperDraft in January out of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

“We’d like to thank Oumar for his professionalism and attitude during his time with the club,” Dynamo general manager Matt Jordan said.

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/04/dynamo-release-backup-center-back-oumar-ballo/feed/0Dynamo draft a midfielder from Butlerhttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/dynamo-draft-a-midfielder-from-butler/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/dynamo-draft-a-midfielder-from-butler/#commentsThu, 15 Jan 2015 19:45:46 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=47665Although the Dynamo are loaded with midfield depth, new coach Owen Coyle and general manager Matt Jordan surprised most of Major League Soccer on Thursday by taking Butler midfielder Zach Steinberger with the eighth pick in the SuperDraft.

Steinberger caught the Dynamo’s attention at last week’s MLS Combine, where he impressed Coyle and Jordan on the field and in the pre-draft interview.

“Yeah, to be honest I was just with my family and we were hoping for anywhere in the first couple of rounds,” said Steinberger, who wasn’t rated as a first-round pick in any of the reputable mock drafts.

The Dynamo then traded the rights to veteran midfielder Servando Carrasco for Sporting Kansas City’s second-round pick, the 30th pick.

They took University of Maryland-Baltimore County center back Oumar Ballo with that selection and University of North Carolina forward Rob Lovejoy with the 36th pick.

“The three lads we’ve managed to bring on board, we interviewed the three of them,” Coyle said. “We were very impressed with them.”

Steinberger, the 2013 All-Big East First-Team selection, suffered facial fractures in late September and eventually finished the 2014 season at Butler with the lowest scoring production of his college career.

After scoring a career-high six goals and providing four assists over 19 games as a junior, Steinberger had two assists and no goal over 14 games as Butler’s senior captain.

Steinberger, 22, had 14 goals and 15 assists over his four-year career. He recently graduated from Butler with a degree in entrepreneurship.

“At the next level I think I’m definitely going to be a versatile player,” he said. “I can play a bunch of different positions.”

Although Coyle noted Steinberger’s versatility, he sees the 5-11, 175-pounder as a central midfielder.

He spent his sophomore and junior years of high school at the Bradenton (Fla.) Academy before leaving to Europe at 16. He began his sojourn through Europe by trying out in England with Middlesbrough F.C. of the second-division Football League Championship.

Unable to secure a visa to play in England, he played in Kosice, Slovakia, for nine months before going to Karlsruhe, Germany, where he played a year for Karlsruher SC’s Under-19 side in Germany for a year.

“He caught my eye in the first game (at the combine) immediately and he continued to,” Coyle said. “Every game he played he certainly dominated the games. Then when we got the chance to sit and chat with him. You could tell he has a good background in the game, an understanding of what’s involved in playing the game. And we got a good feel for him as a personality.”

Steinberger returned to the U.S. in 2011 and signed to play at Butler.

“If anything I can take away from that experience it is that eventually one day I want to go back there and play in Europe,” he said.

In other soccer news, the Dash are expected to take University of Virginia midfielder Morgan Brian with the first overall pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft Friday.

Brian, one of the U.S. women’s national team’s top young players, won the 2014 and 2013 Hermann Trophy as the top women’s college soccer player.

The Dynamo midfield will likely be without Honduran national team stalwarts Boniek Garcia and Luis Garrido during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, so Miranda should provide be crucial depth.

The Dynamo have acquired Miranda on a one-year loan from Club Independiente, which plays in Argentina’s Primera (First) Division.

Miranda, 21, has scored two goals over 34 appearances with Independiente since making his debut in Argentina’s Primera Division in March 2013.

“We are very pleased to add Leonel Miranda to our roster,” Dynamo general manager Matt Jordan said. “He’s a dynamic, young and versatile midfielder that can play several different positions. We feel the experiences he’s had at a young age with one of the top clubs in Argentina will benefit our club moving forward.”

The Dynamo’s starting midfield returned intact from 2014 with Brad Davis, Ricardo Clark, Garrido and Garcia, but there’s a strong possibility that new coach Owen Coyle will need at least one other midfielder and play with only one forward up top.

After nine years of playing with a 4-4-2 lineup – four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards – the Dynamo under Coyle will use a 4-2-3-1 formation – four defenders, two holding midfielders, three attacking midfielders and a forward.

Clark and Garrido will likely serve as the two holding midfielders with Garcia, Davis and Giles Barnes likely to start as attacking midfielders. Miranda is expected to compete with Honduran Alex Lopez for minutes off the bench as an attacking midfielder.

The Dynamo have yet to re-sign Servando Carrasco or Nate Sturgis, but they would be backup holding midfielders if they return.

“He’s going to bring depth to the midfield,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said of Miranda. “He’s going to push our midfielders for playing time. Owen wants to play a 4-2-3-1, and this guy can fit perfectly in the three because he can play left, right or centrally.”

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/houston-dynamo-acquire-leonel-miranda-on-loan-from-argentine-team/feed/0Kinnear’s return highlights 2015 Houston Dynamo schedulehttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/kinnears-return-highlights-2015-houston-dynamo-schedule/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/kinnears-return-highlights-2015-houston-dynamo-schedule/#commentsWed, 07 Jan 2015 20:03:29 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=47435Dominic Kinnear, who coached the Dynamo to a pair of titles and four MLS Cup appearances over nine years in Houston, will make his first visit to BBVA Compass Stadium as an opposing coach on May 5.

Kinnear’s Cinco De Mayo homecoming and the San Jose Earthquakes’ second visit to BBVA Compass Stadium on Aug. 8 highlight the Dynamo’s 34-game schedule that was released Wednesday afternoon.

Kinnear was the only coach over the Dynamo’s nine-year history, but he resigned at the end of the 2014 season to return to his hometown Earthquakes. As had been previously announced, new coach Owen Coyle will make his debut with the Dynamo in the season opener March 7 against the Columbus Crew.

Young Mexican superstar forward Erick “Cubo” Torres, who is on a six-month loan with Chivas de Guadalajara, is likely to make his debut with the Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on July 3 against the Chicago Fire if he isn’t away with the Mexican national team.

Kinnear’s Earthquakes and the Dynamo will meet three times as Western Conference foes, including July 10 at San Jose’s new stadium.

Former Dynamo All-Star goalkeeper Tally Hall will visit Houston for the first time as an opponent on March 13 with the expansion Orlando City SC.

Hall, who was the Dynamo’s starting goalkeeper from 2011 until Aug. 29, was traded to Orlando City after the season. It’s unclear, however, if he’ll be recovered from the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in August.

The Dynamo missed the playoffs in 2014 for only the second time in franchise history and the first since 2010.

“More than anything, we are ready to get back into action in 2015,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said. “We have a very exciting season ahead, and seeing the schedule helps bring it even closer to reality. We are building a strong team and have a thrilling lineup of games for fans to support the Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium.”

Instate rival FC Dallas will make its lone visit to BBVA Compass Stadium on May 1, and the defending MLS champion L.A. Galaxy will visit July 25.

2015 DYNAMO SCHEDULE

All times Central

DATE

OPPONENT

TIME

Saturday, March 7

Columbus Crew SC

7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 13

Orlando City SC

6 p.m.

Saturday, March 21

at LA Galaxy

9:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

Colorado Rapids

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 4

at Seattle Sounders FC

TBD

Saturday, April 11

Montreal Impact

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 18

at D.C. United

6 p.m.

Saturday, April 25

Sporting Kansas City

7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 1

FC Dallas

8 p.m.

Tuesday, May 5

San Jose Earthquakes

7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10

at Toronto FC

4 p.m.

Saturday, May 16

Portland Timbers FC

7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 22

at LA Galaxy

9:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 30

at NYCFC

6 p.m.

Friday, June 5

New York Red Bulls

8 p.m.

Saturday, June 20

at Portland Timbers FC

9:30 p.m.

Friday, June 26

at FC Dallas

8 p.m.

Friday, July 3

Chicago Fire

8 p.m.

Friday, July 10

at San Jose Earthquakes

10 p.m.

Saturday, July 18

at Real Salt Lake

9 p.m.

Saturday, July 25

LA Galaxy

8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1

at Sporting Kansas City

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 8

San Jose Earthquakes

8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 15

at New England Revolution

6:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 21

at Portland Timbers FC

10 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 26

at Colorado Rapids

8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 29

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12

Real Salt Lake

7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 20

at Philadelphia Union

6 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 23

Sporting Kansas City

7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26

Colorado Rapids

7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 4

at FC Dallas

4 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 18

Seattle Sounders FC

TBD

Sunday, Oct. 25

at Vancouver Whitecaps FC

TBD

]]>

http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/kinnears-return-highlights-2015-houston-dynamo-schedule/feed/0Dynamo moving to Western Conference for 2015http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2014/10/dynamo-moving-to-western-conference-for-2015/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2014/10/dynamo-moving-to-western-conference-for-2015/#commentsMon, 27 Oct 2014 20:30:08 +0000http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/?p=44638After a successful four-year move to the Eastern Conference, the Dynamo are headed back to the Western Conference in 2015.

Major League Soccer announced Monday that the Dynamo and their Eastern Conference nemesis Sporting Kansas City will move to the West next season.

The Dynamo won two Eastern Conference titles and appeared in three Eastern Conference championships since they were realigned from the West in 2011.

MLS announced the realignment Monday along with the news that Chivas USA has been contracted by the league.

With the addition of expansion clubs in New York and Orlando in 2015, MLS officials decided to put the Dynamo back in the West.

The Dynamo and Sporting K.C. met three times in the Eastern Conference playoffs, including two Eastern Conference championships and one conference semifinal.

The East: Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United, Montreal, New England, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia, Toronto FC.

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2014/10/dynamo-moving-to-western-conference-for-2015/feed/0Video: A history of the Houston Dynamohttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2013/03/a-history-of-the-houston-dynamo/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2013/03/a-history-of-the-houston-dynamo/#commentsWed, 06 Mar 2013 21:13:44 +0000http://blog.chron.com/soccer/?p=3913
]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2013/03/a-history-of-the-houston-dynamo/feed/4Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear dominates at homehttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/10/dynamo-coach-dominic-kinnear-dominates-at-home/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/10/dynamo-coach-dominic-kinnear-dominates-at-home/#commentsFri, 19 Oct 2012 21:06:57 +0000http://blog.chron.com/soccer/?p=3540Although Dominic Kinnear doesn’t put as much weight on streaks compared to championships, it’s worth mentioning that Kinnear could become the first coach in Major League Soccer history to go unbeaten at home in multiple seasons.

His stacked 2005 San Jose Earthquakes were the first team in MLS history to accomplish the feat. They also won nine games on the road that year to earn the Supporters Shield with a thorough domination of the league – well until they got bounced in the playoffs, as he’ll sadly tell you.

With a victory or tie Saturday night against the Union, the Dynamo will finish the season unbeaten at home in the regular season. They also have a 24-game regular season home unbeaten streak, dating to June 18, 2011, at Robertson Stadium.

“It’s a good thing,” Kinnear said. “It’s all about championships really. It’s a good thing to look back on, but I think people actually remember championships rather than streaks. If this unbeaten streak can lead us to the playoffs and to the championship, I think we can point to that.

“But in 2005, we got bumped out of the playoffs after being the best thing in the league. This streak is good for us if it puts us into the playoffs and we get some home games during the playoffs.”

Nonetheless, the home unbeaten streak is a testament to Kinnear, who has won two MLS Cup titles and three Conference titles (two West and one East) since arriving in Houston in 2006.

“And obviously (Kinnear) is a great coach,” Brad Davis said. “He’s instilled a great work ethic in this group. He’s got a good group of guys that continues to drive that every single day. Guys really buy into the system. We try to bring it every single day. I think that shows in our record.”

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/10/dynamo-coach-dominic-kinnear-dominates-at-home/feed/1Ching, veterans try to get Dynamo back on trackhttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/09/ching-veterans-try-to-get-dynamo-back-on-track/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/09/ching-veterans-try-to-get-dynamo-back-on-track/#commentsTue, 04 Sep 2012 18:27:46 +0000http://blog.chron.com/soccer/?p=3440The first practice after a game is usually relatively easy compared to the rest of the training sessions for the Dynamo. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday in the team’s first session since a tough 3-1 loss against the Chicago Fire.

If you couldn’t sense or see the tension during a small-sided, small-goal scrimmage, you definitely heard it as Brian Ching, Bobby Boswell and a few veterans tried to whip the guys into form with more than a few choice words while also leading by example.

Before you knew it, quite a few of the guys were quite vocal as they pushed each other to work a bit harder, adding a few dozen expletives to punctuate their points.

The Dynamo have reason to be upset. Since their eight-game unbeaten streak was snapped, they are 0-2-2. They have fallen from the top of the Eastern Conference standings to tied for fourth with Columbus, which is actually ahead of the Dynamo on a points per game basis, 1.62 to 1.56.

To get back on track, the Dynamo must regain the strong team defense they showcased during their eight-game unbeaten streak. All three of the goals Chicago scored were after Dynamo lapses gave the Fire the ball.

The Dynamo need to get their mindset back on track, as Ching vows to remind his teammates.

“I think sometimes that we’re playing so well going forward that as soon as the ball turns over there’s kind of that (attitude) that, ‘Ah, we’re going to win it back,’ ” Ching said. “That’s not the case. I think about a month ago, that was the case where as soon the ball turned over we were immediately pressuring trying to win the ball back. We got away from that a little bit, as you see with the results.

“It’s just a little reminder. To me it all starts in practice. I got to try to convey to the guys that no matter if it’s a day like today or if it’s a day before a game we have to be tuned in and playing both sides of the ball.”

Geoff Cameron comes out of the 'oven' for a practice session. (James Nielsen/Chronicle)

Geoff Cameron could not have been more adamant.

Asked if he would miss decrepit Robertson Stadium, Dynamo and U.S. national team center back sounded like a man whose divorce was finally complete and he was eager to move away from a miserable and evil ex.

“Nothing! Nothing,” Cameron said when he was asked what he will miss from Robertson. “We’re on our field. I’m happy to be there. We don’t have to buy anything or get in their locker room. I don’t miss anything.”

Pressed a bit and asked if he would at least miss the cats that roamed the stadium, Cameron tried to find something positive from UH’s longtime football stadium.

“Actually, maybe one thing,” he said. “There was some slight breeze at Robertson because there was that hole when you played the game. There is no wind in the new stadium, none. It’s an oven, so it kind of sucks for the other team coming in because they’re going to die.”

Robertson Stadium isn’t a very good stadium, and UH will soon start building a beautiful new stadium worthy of its resurgent football team. Regardless of the state of the stadium, though, the Dynamo had the best home record in MLS during the franchise’s first six years there.

BBVA Compass Stadium might also prove to be a great home field advantage when opponents arrive to play in the heat.

“We’re dying in training at like 10:30-11 o’clock,” he said. “It heats up all day, the concrete, the metal and the steel around it, it’s just going to be an oven. Make sure the fans bring cold towels.”

The Dynamo play their first game in their new home at 3:30 p.m. Saturday against D.C. United.

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/05/hot-bbva-compass-stadium-should-provide-home-advantage/feed/69Great fans of the beautiful game come in both gendershttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/05/great-fans-of-the-beautiful-game-come-in-both-genders/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/05/great-fans-of-the-beautiful-game-come-in-both-genders/#commentsWed, 02 May 2012 18:57:21 +0000http://blog.chron.com/soccer/?p=2895Every once in a while, we all tend to say some very stupid things. A month ago, Dynamo midfielder Colin Clark drew a deserved three-game suspension for uttering a gay slur.

Today, MLS dropped the hammer on MLSSoccer.com insider Simon Borg, an outspoken and quite, shall we say, self-assured MLS “expert.” MLS gave him a seven-day suspension for saying on a podcast Monday that he finds female “super-fans” as a turn off.

“During the latest episode of the ExtraTime Radio podcast on MLSsoccer.com, one of the hosts — Simon Borg — made inappropriate remarks regarding female fans of Major League Soccer,” MLS said in a statement. “These remarks were unacceptable and in no way reflect the values of MLS, its clubs, players, staff, or MLSsoccer.com. We apologize on behalf of our organization for those remarks. Respect for diversity is a core principle of MLS and we are proud of the diversity of our League and its fans.

“Mr. Borg will be suspended from his position at MLSsoccer.com for seven days, effective immediately. All MLS employees undergo diversity and sensitivity training on an annual basis, and Mr. Borg and the entire MLS Digital group will receive additional sensitivity training promptly.”

I must admit I’ve never heard the show because I’m too busy with life and such matters, but according to a transcript posted on yahoo.com, Borg said: “It’s fine if you’re a female and you want to be a super-fan. Clearly go for it, that’s your choice. But there is something to be said for how appealing that might be to the other sex. Having a woman that’s such a fan, like painting your face, tuning in to every podcast. I don’t know how many males would be into that.

“It’s great that in Kansas City there are a lot of women in the stands, it’s great, but for the guy who wants maybe a serious relationship… If you are following just casually, but if you’re such a die-hard, I don’t know, it comes a point that it is a bit of a [I don’t want to say] turn-off…”

I’m going to try to be professional here, so I won’t really tell you my first reaction to Borg’s comments other than to say it was somewhat nastier than “what a jerk!” With that said, I’ll also reiterate the stance I had after Clark was suspended. Please don’t judge the man by one stupid incident because we can all learn from this incident, including my dumb butt.

I’m a father of three girls and in the last year I’ve coached three girls teams, a U-5, a U-6 and a U-8. I stopped coaching the U-6s in the spring, so I only coached two in the spring. Moreover, last fall after my daughter’s Challenge Academy team played an academy game at Houston Amateur Park, I watched with pride as my daughter asked if they could go wait outside the Dynamo practice facility for an hour as the Los Angeles Galaxy finished practice. The girls – ages between 9 and 8 – waited patiently outside the gates and were rewarded with portraits with Bruce Arena and several Galaxy players.

As a journalist, I pride myself on not being a fan.

But, as a father, I love that my daughters and their teammates love the Dynamo, love Brian Ching and Geoff Cameron just as much as they do Alex Morgan and Hope Solo. One of my brothers visited this weekend for my eldest daughter’s first communion. He obviously doesn’t follow women’s soccer. Noticing a homemade white bandana decorated with Alex Morgan in red glitter, my brother asked me who Alex Morgan was. I told him that Kathleen made the bandana for the viewing party we held for over a dozen girls during the Women’s World Cup final this summer.

Here’s the deal, though, my daughters love Chicharito as much as Ching, Alex Morgan as much as Mia Hamm. They love them because they are great soccer stars, not because of their sex appeal or gender.

My girls cherish the opportunities they’ve had to take pictures with Ching and Arena. They love the Dynamo so much that they’re skipping their Academy games on May 12 so that most of the team can attend and sit together at the BBVA Compass Stadium opener. They’re showing up to cheer their favorite soccer team, not to impress some fat slob who’s there to be turned on or off by female fans.

Borg was wrong on many levels, beginning with the fact that he chose to objectify female fans. He’s the one with the issues. Does he find male super-fans as a turn on? He would never think to objectify male fans, and he shouldn’t have to see female fans as a turn on or turn off. They are all soccer fans.

Soccer in America has grown tremendously, but it hasn’t grown enough in this country that we need MLS employees insulting female fans. As a dad of three soccer-loving girls, I can tell you I’m proud MLS decided to turn Borg off.